The Shelluh sheik bribed — Arrangements for stopping at Arround — Medical practice among the Shelluhs — Arabic correspondence — Unexpected difficulty — Strange fancies of the natives — Threatening weather — Our house at Arround — Gloomy morning — Saint’s tomb — Escape from our guides — Strange encounter — Snow-storm — Tagherot pass — Descent to Arround — Continuance of bad weather — Sacrifice of a sheep — Shelluh mountaineers — Fauna of the Great Atlas — Return to Hasni — Deplorable condition of our camp. We had at last succeeded in breaking the charm that seemed to have hitherto kept us from the inner recesses of the Great Atlas; but we had done little more, and what we had as yet seen and handled of the vegetation of the higher region merely served to whet the appetite, and increase our natural voracity. Our talk on that night of our return to Hasni, and our first thoughts on the following morning, turned on the possibility of making the wretched village of Arround our base of operations for two or three days, as it was clear that only by starting from that point would it be possible to make a fruitful ascent of the higher ridges. During the day’s excursion, Hooker had ascertained a point of great practical importance. While mounting the slopes on the west flank of the valley, he noticed a path leading upwards towards a narrow ravine at its head, and learned in answer to his inquiries that this led to Sous—the great valley on the farther side of the main range. It was clear then, that, with Arround as a starting point, we should have the advantage of a beaten track as far as the crest of the ridge; and, even if this should not be very high, we might, from that point, ascend one of the adjoining summits.